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Pyramids
Chalcatzingo (Morelos)

About 15 minutes of walk from a small village Chalcatzingo, below high cliffs, is situated an archeological site of the very same name. In the Nahuatl language, Chalcatzingo wants to say: A small place of Chalcas. The Chalcas (part of Olmecs tribe) came here from the gulf coast around 1500 BC.Chalcatzingo lived its biggest splendor between 800 and 500 BC.
The site is very well preserved and taken care of. On the main flat below the mountains you will find a very rare circular shaped pyramid, few other buildings and a structure that served for a game known as “juego de pelota”. Ball game for life and death. If you follow a small path to the hill, you will find numerous big stones with original carvings and after another 10 minutes of walk up the mountain you come across some big carvings made into the rocky wall.The climate is very hot and dry. The visitors are rather few. Today we were actually the only people here. The site counts with a small museum in front of which you can leave your car.

What here:The ruins will take you about two hours. Then you can climb the surrounding mountains, well hills, explore a small cave in the wall of one of them or visit some of the “balnearios” (bath, swimming pools) that are in the neighborhood.Where to stay:The village of Chalcatzingo is too small to have any accommodation. You can stay in a nearby Jonacatepec, which has few simple hotels. Or try slightly more remote Cuatla or Tepoztlán where you can actually find a good variety of accommodation.Opens: Every day from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm. 37 pesos.

How to get here:Car: You get of Mexico City on the 95D “highway” towards Cuernavaca. Before Cuernavaca take turn to Tepoztlan and Cuatla, once you pass Cuatla, after another 20 km you take right to Jonacatepec. Go right through the small town until you see a bridge. Before the bridge take left and in ten minutes you should reach the village of Chalcatzingo. Here sighns will lead you to the archeological site.

Bus: From the bus terminal Tasqueñain Mexico City take a bus that goes to Cuatla. In Cuatla change for a local bus to Jonacatepec from which you can take a small purple micro to the main square of Chalcatzingo. From here it is about 15 to 20 minutes walking to the ruins.